Safety improvements to support truck deliveries in Winchelsea

Published on 11 December 2024

Surf Coast Shire Council is working with Powercor, WorkSafe and local businesses to create a safer environment for truck deliveries in the Winchelsea town centre.

The work is in response to concerns raised this year about deliveries via the Hesse Street loading zone, namely:

• the steep road camber close to the kerb, which poses a risk when unloading from trucks;
• low powerlines above the loading zone; and
• the need for trucks to complete multi-point turns on Hesse Street to rejoin the highway.

Local businesses tabled a petition during Council’s September meeting highlighting the importance of the loading zone to their operations.

A response to the petition presented during Tuesday night’s Council meeting detailed solutions that have either been implemented or will soon be put in place:

• Raising powerlines: Powercor has increased the height of the powerlines to 5.4 metres, providing safe clearance for trucks.

• Re-marking the loading zone: Council will widen the loading zone by 1.5 metres before Christmas. This will allow trucks to park further from the kerb on a flatter part of the road, making unloading safer. The street will remain wide enough to support unrestricted two-way traffic.
• Medium-term kerb works: Council is investigating works to the kerb itself that would reduce the camber of the loading zone and increase pedestrian and vehicle safety.

Additionally, Council has started discussions with businesses about the use of spotters during truck departures from Hesse Street.

This solution was suggested via the September petition and would be a way of increasing safety for trucks and other road users during multi-point turns.

Winchelsea Ward councillor Tony Phelps acknowledged the importance of the loading zone.

“Local businesses rely on this loading zone and Council officers have been working on safety solutions to make sure it can stay in its current location,” Cr Phelps said.

“The changes will be reviewed at the end of June next year to check that they’ve been effective.”